Today's Paper
» NATIONAL
» ANDHRA PRADESH

Chiru asks partymen to root out graft

Praja Rajyam Party president K Chiranjeevi addressing a public meeting at Hanuman Junction in Krishna district on Saturday.

K.N. Murali Sankar

Says he will continue his agitation till national project status given to Polavaram

HANUMAN JUNCTION (Krishna dist.): Calling upon the workers of Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) to root out corruption just as Lord Anjaneya had burnt down Lanka in ‘Ramayana,' PRP president K. Chiranjeevi on Saturday asserted that the party would continue its agitation till the Central government accorded ‘national project' status to Polavaram multipurpose irrigation project.

Mr. Chiranjeevi began his campaign on Polavaram project in Krishna district from Hanuman Junction, where he arrived four and half hours behind schedule. After offering special prayers at Abhayanjaneya Swamy temple, he recollected his association with the place and the temple.

In an emotional tone he said, “Some people are saying that I failed to get votes in the elections.

That was only due to absence of a proper internal system in the party by the time of elections. My intention is not to enjoy power, as comforts are not new to me. I am ready to take whatever you will offer me in public life,” he said.

Without naming any particular political party or leader, Mr. Chiranjeevi maintained that some forces were scared of the response from the public to his tour and launched a misinformation campaign that his tour was of no use. “The foundation stone for the project was laid in 1981 and so far only 10 per cent of the work is completed.

The government has so far spent Rs. 3,000 crore and another Rs. 12,000 crore is needed to complete the project. It is not possible for the State government to allocate funds to the project at this moment and declaring it as national project is the only solution,” he explained.

Hitting out at the State government for failing to control the rising prices of essential commodities, Mr. Chiranjeevi expressed concern over the nonchalant attitude of the elected representatives and officials.

“We have raised several issues of public interest on the floor of the Legislative Assembly and we will continue to do so in the future too,” he said.